RECORD NUMBERS VISITING WAITANGI

Northern Advocate, 13 January 1948, Page 2

RECORD NUMBERS VISITING WAITANGI

PAIHIA, Tue. (Sp.)—The number of visitors to the Waitangi Treaty House this year is likely to break all records. From July 1, 1946,. to June 30, 1947, over 29,000 people were shown over the Treaty House, the Whare Runanga, and the building containing the Ngapuhi canoe.

Up to January 10 last attendances this year were well ahead of the figure for the comparative period of last year.

The honorary secretary of the National Trust Board (Hon. Vernon H. Reed, of Paihia) regards this as particularly encouraging, and altogether unexpected in view of the infantile paralysis epidemic and the tightening of petrol supplies over the holidays.

The greatest number escorted over the house and grounds in any one day was 310 on New Year’s Day.

The influx of people has made the work of the custodian (Miss K. V. Lloyd) most exacting, but, like all associated with the estate, she is a real enthusiast in proclaiming the historic significance of Waitangi. MAORI ATTENDANT The limiting factor of finance is preventing several major developments designed to make Waitangi and the Bay of Islands generally even more attractive to the visitor and the overseas tourist. One aspect that is disappointing to those most closely concerned with the estate is that more Maoris are not included among to Waitangi. Many do come, and one Moerewa Maori frequently organises group visits to the place of history. As the years go by Waitangi is certain to become of increasing importance to the Maori race. Apart from other considerations the whare runanga and the canoe contain many faithful reproductions of ancient carvings seen nowhere else in New Zealand. In the meantime the National Trust is most anxious to stimulate greater use of their common heritage by Maoris of the present day and, to that end. has taken preliminary steps for the erection of a dwelling for a Maori attendant, whom it is intended should be appointed to the Treaty House staff.

This would enable Maoris to be shown the treasures of Waitangi by a member of their own race, and would also give pakahas, particularly those from overseas, an added interest. GROVES OF NATIVE TREES Native flowers now bloom at Wnitangi almost all the year round. Much admired by thousands of holidaymakers this season has been the centennial grove of over 400 pohutukawas on the rise above the Hobson Memorial. Standing between Busby’s residence and the whare runanga is an exceptionally fine tree planted by the Duke of Gloucester when he visited Waitangi in 1935. It has now attained a height of 12ft and was a blaze of crimson this year. A coloured photograph wac forwarded to the Duke last week.

Native bush, much of it planted since the trust was constituted, covers the slopes leading to the Treaty House. The feature is a plantation of 400 yellow kowhai. which flowers from July to October each year. It is doubtful whether any other place in New Zealand offers such a display of the national flower. Established in 1939, and added to periodically, the puriri grove adjoining the golf links is progressing satisfactorily although some of the trees are hardly true to type, being spindly in the bole. AFFORESTATION On the stoop slopes near Mt Bledisloo' the Forestry Department has planted about 400 acres of exotics, including the reolanting of a large area destroyed by fire in the early years of growth. There is ample scope for further afforestation, both on the 1250 acres of- the Bledisloe Estate reserved as endowment land for this purpose, and on 5000 acres of adjoining Crown property.